Life or Death
by The Midnight Maiden
Summary: Rue and Mytho have lived together for three years. But, when a woman named Penny comes for a simple drink of water, Rue is cast into a journey that allows her five days to put the rightful Queen on the throne, or die. Rated T for Language later. ;
1. Chapter 1

Queen Rue sat upon her throne beside her ruling husband, Mytho. She was now the second Ruler in this strange and foreign land, which she knew nothing of. She watched her husband speak kindly to a peasant she did not know. He was so good to everybody. But, that was the problem. He was so kind to everybody. He was kind to her as well, but aside from a kiss on the cheek every now and then, what was the point? Was this really all she had ever wanted? If so, why was she not happy? She was... content. But Mytho wouldn't show any passion towards her. He told her repeatedly that he loved her, but this felt no different than when she told him to say it as a puppet. She felt as if.. as if she might as well be the peasant standing before her. She could imagine herself, pleading for his passion, pleading for his love. And politely he'd say, 'But I already love you."

Rue knew much better than this. He said he'd been feeling selfish that day, that she was the only one he wanted to love more than the rest of the people.. but had he been telling the truth? Had he been speaking to the right person? She had done such horrible things to get him back, to get him permanently by her side. And now, here they were. But she yearned for so much more than this. Rue looked at her husband, and he looked back with a brief smile, a warmth in his eyes that explained his happiness.. But was that happiness.. really his love? She had awaken in the middle of the night to shelter a screaming husband, more than once. All he would scream was 'Tutu! Save me!' She had awaken many times to him staring down at her, a frown upon his face and sadness in his eyes, as if he wished she were somebody else. Had she really won once and for all? Had she really gained the love of her prince? Had she fulfilled the changed fate that Tutu was supposed to have? That Ahiru really deserved?

Rue stood up. "I'm getting a glass of water." Rue said.

"Ah, good." Mytho said with a smile, "Than you can take Penny with you."

"Penny?" Rue questioned, looking towards the peasant. She was a woman, about her age, with dark brown hair flowing to her waste, and beautiful blue eyes that Rue suspected were unseeing. And yet, they seemed to pierce her soul, and examine her thoughts with a power she had never felt before. Rue walked over to Penny and took her hand, leading her towards the kitchen.

Rue said nothing as she walked through the halls, staring straight ahead. But Penny just stared at Rue eerily. Rue could see her watching her everytime she dared to take a look.

"You've stolen what isn't yours." Penny said, finally looking away down the hall.

"What...?" Rue questioned, astonished enough to stop.

"You have stolen what isn't yours, and now you are paying the price. And ultimadum will be given to you, and for now it will suffice. Leave this place, right now you see, and bring us back the rightful Queen." Penny said, still walking down the hall. "If you don't, a wiseman said that in five days you shall be dead."

Rue was silent, her heart beating faster and faster.

"Live or Die, it's your time to choose, but either way, you're sure to lose. This punishment sent from above, is to make sure you don't receive any love. For it is love you so selfishly stole, you shall now pay the toll. Give days to fetch the rightful Queen and put her in her place, five days you have to erase your selfish face. Five days you have, and that is all to redeem your selfish act, And now I have spoken, I take my leave to make note of this terrible pact."

Rue saw 'Penny' disappear into the darkness of the hall, and she swore she felt her heart seize in fear. She had lived for three years with Mytho, why did this prophecy come now! She had been content, living with a loveless Mytho because she still loved him! But, how was she supposed to find Ahiru and get her back to normal in five days, make sure the two of them married and sat on the throne together in five days! And she hadn't known who was the right Queen... Ahiru, or Princess Tutu. Was it even one of them at all?

Rue didn't want to leave the kingdom! But... would she rather die with a loveless Mytho than see him love once more and live her whole life through, living with the agony that it wasn't her who brought back his love? They hadn't given her time to think. What story was this! This.. this twisted story had screwed up her life once more! Now she had to leave and give the person she feared the most her rightful place? As far as Rue knew, Ahiru had been a duck now for three years! She hadn't thought of that... and she had a feeling Mytho had, a lot. Did he even know that Ahiru was Princess Tutu?

Well... it had been obvious he had. The first day he got here, he told a weaver to make a silk banner, one with Ahiru, Princess Tutu, and a duck that resembled both, right in the middle of them. It had been hung up by their first month together, in Mytho's private room. He spent day after day in that room.. Rue didn't know whether he was staring at the mural, or figuring out the problems of the people. Rue had thought nothing of it as a reminder of why he was right here, this very day..

But she had been wrong. She had selfishly ignored the signs, and now, now..

She had to go.

She had to go, and now. She feared for her honor, her love, her feelings... and her life. She rushed out to the throne room, and Mytho shot her a concerned glance.

"Why are you panting? Where's Penny?" Mytho asked lightly, looking down the hallway as Penny came through and slowly moved towards the exit.

"I've got to go..." Rue said, panting heavily and taking a deep breath, "Find Ahiru."

"Why? Is something wrong with Ahiru?" Mytho asked.

And from that moment, Rue's stomach sunk towards the ground. There in his eyes, a spark. It was like a warning bell had gone off. Where was that spark when she'd run in out of breath. Did she need to scream? What did she need to do?

"I need to go. Goodbye." Rue said, running out and running to the carriages. Rue took the largest one, leaving no horses for Mytho so he couldn't escape. She hitched them up, not knowing how to properly drive a horse, but they seemed to know what they were doing. Mytho was back at the castle, shouting something she couldn't hear. Rue just shook her head. "I love you too.." Rue said, wiping her eye.

Mytho halted as he saw Rue set off into the distance. She probably couldn't hear him.. "I hope she's careful.." Mytho said, watching after her. He got a small pang in his heart as he thought of Ahiru being in trouble. He didn't know why Rue had gone.. but lately, now more than ever, he felt estranged being around Rue. She was silent, and although she looked at him as though he were the world to her.. Mytho shook his head lightly and headed back inside, worried for both Rue and Ahiru.

It was the raven's blood that had been put in his heart long ago. Over the years, it had faded, because of his demeanor and because he wasn't taken over by the evil raven. That little bit had drained, slowly but surely, and his heart was in the right place.. the place it would've been if Rue hadn't selfishly soaked his heartfelt feelings in Raven's blood. But, something else happened. From the moment the young Prince's heart was fully normal, a new book began. And now, pulled into a whole new set of stories, Rue was being pulled ever closer to the journey of her life.. one that she would never fully overcome.

And as the horses flew nearer and nearer to the town where Ahiru lay sleeping, she was already being pulled inside, never being able to escape what was coming next.


	2. Chapter 2

Ahiru sat at the edge of the pond, watching the ever changing shadows dance around the mysterious place. It in itself was the one place that hadn't changed when Drosselmeyer was defeated. Well.. besides herself of course. In the three years, she'd become a full fledged duck, no longer a cute little duckling, but a plain, brown duck. She still had her large blue eyes, which set her apart from any other duck that came around here.. not that many actually did. She sat quietly, listening to the sounds around her, and watching her prince dance through the shadows. It was a mystifying place, a place that reminded her of the past... the amazing past... She could sit here all day and remember, that she had once been a human, madly in love with a handsome prince. She knew now though, that those days were past. She could still see the moment he looked at her as if she were the world, and when they danced together.

She dreamt of that day, every second she closed her eyes. She thought about, what would've happened if Mytho decided that he loved her.. in the way she had desperately wanted him to. She thought about all of her previous friends that she could no longer talk to.. In fact, the only thing keeping her alive was a man that came by to feed the ducks everyday. This of course, was either Fakir, or one of his admirers. It was rarely Fakir. From what she gathered, he had become famous all throughout the town. His books had been a must read for everyone young and old. He had come out with a whole new set, and sometimes he would come out and read them to her. She especially liked the one called, 'I love you.'

It set apart from all the other adventure books that Fakir wrote. This one was a simple love story about a man who had loved a woman, but the man had been stolen. In the end, the woman realized she was wrong for stealing the man and set to get them back together. It was a simple story really, but that wasn't the only one she liked. One of them Fakir had written just for her. It was titled, 'The Duckling's Day'. It was about a beautiful girl who had been turned into a duck because she stole something from a wicked witch. The girl went on a long journey, and finally gave back the stolen item. And when she had, she turned into a swan. Ahiru had been disappointed, but Fakir said that the story wasn't over. After the girl was turned into a swan, she met a clan of swans just like her and got to know them like family. She fell in love with one of them and had little goslings. And then one day, the witch came back and was proud of the girl and her pure heart, and turned her and her whole family into a family ten times more beautiful than anyone could imagine. And they lived happily ever after!

She didn't know why, but whenever she was feeling down, she knew that one day she would fall in love again.. and maybe even be turned back into a human! It was a long shot but.. she'd never really gotten to express to Mytho how she really felt about him.

Ahiru heard a whistling noise down the walk way and swam in a half circle to see a young woman with long hair down her back and striking blue eyes even lighter than her own. Ahiru looked at the girl come closer and closer, and she was afraid for the girl who seemed blind before she stopped at the exact edge of the water and looked straight at Ahiru.

"Hello little duck." The woman said, smiling and holding out her hand, "Eat this and be happy."

Ahiru swam up to the woman and looked into her hand. There was a wonderful piece of golden bread. Ahiru quacked happily and took it into her beak, piece by piece, being careful not to damage the woman's hand. Ahiru was so thankful, she even quacked it over and over.

"You're very welcome Ahiru." The woman said.

Ahiru stopped quacking and looked up at the woman in wonder. But then, she started feeling a change. It bubbled up inside her, like joy and happiness was lifting her off the ground. And then, she felt her entire form changing. She closed her eyes and smiled, breathing in a breath of fresh air... through a nose! Ahiru was astonished, and too happy for words. She shouted and jumped around with joy hooting and hollering. She finally turned around to the woman to thank her, but all that was there was a pile of neatly folded clothes. Ahiru looked down at herself and realized she had grown some assets that she really couldn't notice while in duck form.. and then realized that she was, in fact, completely naked. Ahiru jumped out of the pond and grabbed the clothes, slipping them on easily as if the woman had taken her exact measurements.

Ahiru felt her face and her legs, her arms her neck, her stomach.. She was human! All the way human! She felt like dancing and jumping for joy. And she did. She danced, although.. still not very well, and jumped jovially, knowing that even if just for a moment, she was exactly who she wanted to be. But.. her life on the other hand..

"Lillie! Pike!" Ahiru realized out loud. Ahiru smiled widely after hearing her own voice and ran out of the forest and into the town, doing all she could from shouting a big, 'I'm back!' to the world. There were so many things she wanted to do, so many things she wanted to see! She wanted to go back into Ballet School, she wanted to learn how to dance, but she also wanted to see everyone. Lillie and Pike and My-

Ahiru stopped in her tracks among the few passing people, breathing heavily. Did any of this really matter? Mytho would never come to see her. He had forgotten all about her.. and so had everyone else. What was the point if nobody remembered you? Maybe she should start over with a new name.. Yeah.. yeah that sounded good. Ahiru smiled to herself. She had to look on the brightside.. because the brightside was where she always needed to be. And as if by magic, Ahiru looked to her right to see a barbershop. Ahiru paused, and then headed inside. If nobody remembered Ahiru, then maybe they'd remember someone else.

An hour later, Ahiru came out of the Barber Shop with short cut hair like Princess Tutu's, with an all new Blonde color.

"Ma'am! Ma'am!" The Barber shouted after her.

"Yeah?" Ahiru questioned.

"May I ask for your name?"

Ahiru paused, and then smiled. "It's Clarisse."

"Clarisse?" He asked again.

"Precisely!" Ahiru said with a laugh. "Now.. do you know of anywhere I could get a job...?"

Rue was speeding at the town and pulled the horses reigns to slow them down. And with that, they landed exactly in town square. Man, this town brought back so many unwanted memories, and so many she would cherish forever. This is where she had met, and manipulated the only man she could ever love.. and who she was about to leave. There was no way she was going to die, only wishing that Mytho had felt something real for her. The woman had only said put the rightful Queen in her place, it didn't, and wouldn't say that she still couldn't have Mytho! She refused to just give up.

But for now, she had to deal with Ahiru. She had to find her, and there was only person who would know where she was. But, coming in contact with the bigshot of the entire town would never be easy, even for a Queen of a faraway place. She had to admit that she had her ways, but even this one would be tricky.


End file.
